The role of detachment faulting in the genesis of oceanic felsic melts

Zhang, Wei-Qi, Liu, Chuan-Zhou, MacLeod, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0460-1626 and Lissenberg, C. Johan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7774-2297 2025. The role of detachment faulting in the genesis of oceanic felsic melts. Communications Earth & Environment 6 (1) , 109. 10.1038/s43247-025-02098-3

Preview

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (5MB) | Preview

Abstract

Oceanic detachments are deep-rooted, long-lived, plate-scale structures and serve as fluid conduits introducing water into the oceanic lithosphere, impacting plate rheology and potentially inducing oceanic crustal melting. However, the extent and mechanisms of fluid ingress and crustal melting during detachment faulting remains poorly constrained. Here we examine felsic veins from the Atlantis Bank oceanic core complex, Southwest Indian Ridge, to elucidate oceanic detachment controls on crustal melting. We suggest that the felsic veins are products of strong fractionation of either primitive basalts or magmas generated by hydrous melting of gabbros (i.e., anatectic melts). The anatectic felsic veins are proximal to the fault plane, suggesting that detachment fault facilitated high-temperature (750–900 °C) seawater infiltration into deep oceanic crusts. Our findings highlight the essential role of detachment faulting played in the fluid ingress and melting of oceanic crust, bearing implications for chemical and heat exchange between seawater and oceanic lithosphere.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences
Publisher:	Nature Research
ISSN:	2662-4435
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 March 2025
Date of Acceptance:	4 February 2025
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2025 11:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/176718

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item